Friday, Nov. 21, 2003 | 10:17 a.m.
Steve Guiremand covers college football for the Sun. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-2324.
Remember the good old days -- that would be before the farce that is known as the Bowl Championship Series came along -- when you could count on sleeping in on New Year's Day, catch the end of the Rose Parade and see a good Pac-10-Big Ten matchup in the Rose Bowl?
The Granddaddy of all bowls thrived on the tradition and rivalry between the two conferences. It certainly had a lot more going for it than say one of those fabled 45-minute Orange Bowl halftime shows.
But nowadays the Rose Bowl finds its playing second fiddle again to another bowl game, this time the Sugar Bowl, with the very real possibility that either a Pac-10 team (USC) or Big Ten team (Ohio State) could be playing in New Orleans instead of Pasadena.
It's all part of being in the four bowl rotation that gets to host the alleged national championship game every four years. The irony is that last year there was an exciting Pac-10-Big Ten bowl matchup between USC and Iowa ... in the Orange Bowl.
The Rose Bowl made do with Oklahoma and Washington State instead. This year it could be Washington State against Texas. Yee-hah!
But the ultimate irony is that the Rose Bowl could once again be on the outside looking in at another dream Pac-10-Big Ten matchup this year.
Say No. 1 Oklahoma is upset either by Texas Tech or an improving and finally healthy Kansas State squad at chilly Arrowhead Stadium in the Big 12 title game. And say Ohio State knocks off Michigan -- we're talking Jim Tressel vs. Lloyd Carr here -- while USC runs the table as expected against UCLA and Oregon State.
That would set up a Ohio State-USC matchup for the national championship ... in the Sugar Bowl.
I'm guessing that would leave a very bitter taste in the mouths of Rose Bowl officials.
Again.
Notes, quotes and anecdotes
Once around the MWC
AIR FORCE: Head coach Fisher DeBerry said this week he plans on returning to coach the Falcons for his 21st year in 2004. There had been some speculation that DeBerry, 65, may retire because Air Force must replace 26 seniors, including star quarterback Chance Harridge. "I think we have a chance to be a very competitive football team next year," DeBerry said. "Right now, I certainly expect to be back." Air Force (7-4) plays at San Diego State (5-6) on Saturday.
BYU: The Cougars offense has turned the ball over 13 times over the past three games. Quarterback Matt Berry has thrown six interceptions in the past two games. The Cougars (4-7, 3-3), who host rival Utah (8-2, 5-1) on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium, have lost four consecutive homes games.
COLORADO STATE: Despite starting the month with back-to-back losses at Wyoming and New Mexico, the Rams (6-5, 3-3) are 24-7 (77.4 percent) in November games during Sonny Lubick's tenure, including 13-3 on the road. However, CSU had lost their previous three November games before last week's 21-6 victory against San Diego State.
NEW MEXICO: Lobos lead the MWC and are sixth nationally in rushing defense allowing just 85.6 yards per game. New Mexico has scored on 41 of its 45 chances inside the opponents' 20-yard line) this season which tops the MWC at 91.1 percent.
SAN DIEGO STATE: Senior quarterback Adam Hall won't play in Saturday's season finale against Air Force after suffering a deep cut on his left (non-throwing) ring finger in last week's 21-6 loss at Colorado State. Hall partially severed a tendon on the finger which he cut on a helmet but will not need surgery to repair the injury as originally feared.
UNLV: A win against Colorado State on Saturday would make the Rebels (5-5, 1-5) bowl eligible for only the third time in 11 years. The Rebels lead the Mountain West Conference and are tied for ninth nationally in turnover margin at plus-10.
UTAH: First-year Utes head coach Urban Meyer said his players this week made a rule that no one on the team can wear blue, the major school color of arch rival BYU. Utah (8-2, 5-1) can clinch its first outright football conference title since 1957 with a victory against the Cougars in Provo. The quarterback on that Utah squad was Lee Grosscup.
WYOMING: Good thing UNLV isn't playing the Cowboys this weekend in Laramie. Weather forecasts for Saturday's game against New Mexico call for a high of 16 degrees with a low of zero and a 60 percent chance of snow. Winds in the 28 mph range could send the wind-chill factor near or below zero. It's expected to heat up to 30 degrees with snow showers next weekend next weekend.
archive
